The AFL has admitted Waverley Park is an eyesore. The State Government has warned the Aussie rules giant to do the right thing by the stadium's heritage listing.

"The State Government expects the AFL to play by the rules" a government spokeswoman said. "They should be fully aware of their responsibilities under the heritage arrangements and be fulfilling them."

But AFL boss Wayne Jackson said yesterday a major asset such as Waverley would predictably become an eyesore. Mr Jackson said the AFL was aware of its responsibilities to the site and the community, but that it posed problems.

"It is simply an impossibilitiy to keep 220 acres of land, mostly of which is vacant car park, in the order that some people would like to see it" he said. "Waverley clearly has to be sold. It should be developed in a heritage-sensitive way."

The Herald-Sun revealed yesterday that the former jewel in the Aussie rules crown had been left to languish. Vandals have broken windows and scrawled graffiti on the walls of the disused stadium, while the AFL has sold the goal posts and some of the seating.

Opposition planning and major projects spokesman Robert Clark said Labor had promised to keep AFL football at Waverley Park but had instead given Victorians a run-down, vandalised eyesore.

"It is a lose-lose-lose outcome - a loss for the fans who were promised AFL games would continue at Waverley, a loss for the AFL fans generally who will end up bearing the cost of Waverley Park lying idle, and a loss for the local community who had this eyesore on their doorsteps" he said.

"The Government must make up their minds now whether they are going to honour their promise or not. If they are, they must deliver and get Waverley reopened for AFL games. If not, they have to admit they have broken their promise, apologise to all the fans they misled, and sort out what is to be done with the site."